Canada Day 31 Riding Maple Creek to Shaunavon Today's ride was very unpleasant, the Google Maps route estimated 106km, most of which was along a gravel road, so I had to backtrack 13km and take an alternative route, adding up to 150km. The noise on Highway 1 and the unrelenting headwind wore me down and … Continue reading Canada Day 31-33: Riding Maple Creek to Shaunavon, Lafleche and Ogema
Cycle touring
Canada Day 28-30: Riding Calgary to Bassano, Redcliff and Maple Creek
Canada Day 28: Riding Calgary to Bassano I planned to cycle from Calgary to Winnipeg in 12 days, covering nearly 1400km without any rest stops. It seemed ambitious, but with the flat terrain throughout the prairies and a typical westerly wind, it was definitely within my grasp. Although Highway 1 is the shortest route, I'm … Continue reading Canada Day 28-30: Riding Calgary to Bassano, Redcliff and Maple Creek
Canada Day 24-27: Riding Canmore to Calgary and Rest Days
Day 24: Riding Canmore to Calgary Today's ride had a tailwind for most of the journey and halfway through, I left the mountains and enjoyed the flat highway. Unfortunately there were a lot of loose rocks and shrapnel on the side of the road and I got stung by my first flat tyre. After 4,000km of … Continue reading Canada Day 24-27: Riding Canmore to Calgary and Rest Days
Canada Day 19-23: Riding Golden to Lake Louise, Castle Mountain, Banff and Canmore
Canada Day 19: Riding Golden to Lake Louise and Castle Mountain Today was the last day of climbing in the Rockies, I started nice and early and slowly worked through the first few hills. It was hard work, but the overcast and shade from the mountains kept me cool as I progressed up the giant … Continue reading Canada Day 19-23: Riding Golden to Lake Louise, Castle Mountain, Banff and Canmore
Canada Day 16-18: Riding Revelstoke to Golden and Rest Days
Day 16: Riding Revelstoke to Golden Today's ride was pretty rough, my legs were still a little sore and the climbing started right away. I noticed a bunch of cyclists riding past, all wearing similar jerseys with "Sea to Sea" on the back. It turns out they were a group of 100+ cyclists riding from … Continue reading Canada Day 16-18: Riding Revelstoke to Golden and Rest Days
Canada Day 13-15: Riding Penticton to Sicamous and Revelstoke
Day 13: Riding Penticton to Sicamous Unfortunately my accommodation in Malakwa fell through, as the hostel was full, so I rode to Sicamous to find a cheap motel, hoping that it wasn't all booked out. I left my hostel at 6.30am and enjoyed the quiet roads, while most people were probably sleeping in after Canada … Continue reading Canada Day 13-15: Riding Penticton to Sicamous and Revelstoke
Canada Day 10-12: Riding Penticton to Kelowna and Celebrating Canada Day
Day 10: Riding Penticton to Kelowna For today's ride, I rode along Highway 97, which was surprisingly very quiet and mostly easy. I would have liked to try the Kettle Valley Trail, which travels on the other side of Okanagan Lake, however the trail can be rocky and sandy, which isn't ideal for my loaded … Continue reading Canada Day 10-12: Riding Penticton to Kelowna and Celebrating Canada Day
Canada Day 08-09: Riding Princeton to Penticton and Rest Day
Today's ride started off with a lovely downhill, running alongside a river where I spotted some deer and horses. After 63km, there was a 2km section of fruit stands leading into Keremeos. I stopped at Parson's fruit stand and had a maple and walnut milkshake, which the owner filled with at least four scoops of … Continue reading Canada Day 08-09: Riding Princeton to Penticton and Rest Day
Canada Day 05-07: Riding from Vancouver to Chilliwack, Sunshine Valley and Princeton
Day 05: Riding Vancouver to Chilliwack I left the hostel nice and early at 7.30am and enjoyed the quiet roads on the way out of Vancouver. Luckily there were lots of useful signs, directing me towards the Central Valley Greenway, which had perfect cycle paths before I reached the highway. While highway riding isn't always … Continue reading Canada Day 05-07: Riding from Vancouver to Chilliwack, Sunshine Valley and Princeton
Canada Day 01-04: Exploring Vancouver
Day 01: Downtown and Gastown District I slept for about ten hours and worked off some of my sleep debt from my flight from Tokyo. I rode my bike into the city and dropped it off at a bike shop for servicing while I explored the city. The downtown area was pretty relaxed, with plenty … Continue reading Canada Day 01-04: Exploring Vancouver